File cabinet



Feb. 24, 1942. BESCHERER 2,274,263

FILE CABINET Filed Jan. 13, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet l OI. PALMER BESCH ER ER Feb. 24, 1942. BESCHERER 2,274,263

I FILE GIQBINE'I Filed Jan. 15; 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 PALMER BESCHERER Gttorneg F 4, 1942. P. BESCHERER FILE CABINET 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 13, 1940 Fi s. 3 52 5s k Z'mvenfor BESC H E R E R PALMER (Ittorneg Feb. 24, 1942. P. BESCHERER 2,274,263

FILE CABINET Filed Jan. 15, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ZSnuentor PALMER BESCHERER attorney Feb. 24, 1942. BESCHERER 2,274,263

FILE CABINET Patented Feb. 24, 1942 S PATENT OFFICE FILE CABINET Palmer Bescherer, York, Pa., assignor to York Safe and Look Company, York, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application January 13, 1940, Serial No. 313,686

2 Claims.

This invention relates to ofilce appliances and in particular to cabinets, safes and the like which are used by banks and other business establishments for containing account cards, sheets, and other forms of records.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved cabinet having a plurality of drawers or trays mounted therein on carriages adapted for movement outwardly and inwardly with respect to the cabinet, the drawers or trays being pivotally connected to the carriages in such a manner as to be capable of being shifted from horizontal to nearly vertical positions when disposed outwardly of the cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the above type in which the top of the cabinet is formed with an extended portion which overlies the front of the cabinet and which is formed with a cavity or chamber adapted to contain an electric light unit by which the drawers when disposed at the front of the cabinet will be illuminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an efiicient, strong and durable device of the class specified which may be economically constructed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet constructed in accordance with the present invention, the doors being shown closed;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cabinet, with the doors thereof open; i

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing two of the drawers or trays in their outermost inclined position;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Since among its various uses the invention is applicable to receptacles and safes, in the instant case, the invention has been shown applied to a safe comprising a top H, a bottom I2, ends 13, a rear wall l4, and a front door frame For closing the front of the safe, one or more closure elements or doors I1 may be utilized.

These doors may be mounted in the manner shown in my Patent No. 2,148,008, granted February 21, 1939, so as to be movable from the position shown in Fig. 1, into chambers at the ends of the safe, whereby the front of the device has 55 distance.

the appearance shown in Fig. 2 when said doors are opened.

In order that the bottom l2 can be spaced a suitable distance above the floor, the ends l3 are constructed of greater heighth than the main body of the safe, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

If so desired, a rod or rail l8 can be mounted beneath the bottom l2 and extend across the space between the ends l3, so as to provide a foot rest.

In order to accommodate the doors H, the ends l3 may be constructed of a depth greater than the depth of the main body of the safe, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The top H of the main safe body may support a secondary top [9. The front portion of the top i9 overhangs or projects beyond the front of the safe and has formed therein an elongated chamber 20 in which is mounted an electric light unit 2 l, as shown in Fig. 3.

The doors il may be provided with suitable locking means, such as a combination lock 22, and handles 23, as shown in Fig. 1.

A movable case or cabinet 25 is slidably mounted within the safe for limited movement therein.

The case 25 may be constructed from suitable plate and structural steel members and has a top 26, a bottom 21, side or end walls 28, and a rear wall 29. The front of the case 25 is open.

Since the interior of the safe is substantially rectangular in form, the case 25 is correspondingly formed with the area thereof slightly less than the area of the interior of the safe so that the case will be free to move inwardly and outwardly with respect to the safe.

Guides 3|, mounted on the end walls of the safe, serve as means for supporting rollers 32. mounted on the end walls 28 of the case, as shown in Fig. 3.

Since the door frame l5 has considerable thickness, the case 25 has a depth approximately equal to the depth of the interior of the safe when the doors H are closed. When the doors I! are openedfthe case 25 is adapted to be moved outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the front of the case alines substantially with the front of the safe. The outward movement of the case 25 is limited by a stop 33 mounted on the side wall of the safe near the door frame I], said stop being adapted to engage a shoulder 34 mounted on the exterior of the end wall 28 of the case. The shoulder 34 is positioned so as to engage the stop 33 when the case has been moved outwardly the desired The case 25 is constructed with a plurality of horizontal partitions 36, 31, 38, 89, 48 and 4|. and a plurality of vertical partitions 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 41, said partitions being so constructed and arranged as to provide a plurality of compartments.

As show-n in Fig. 2, the vertical partitions 42 and 43 may be arranged between the top 26 of the case 25 and the upper horizontal partition or shelf 36, so as to provide a plurality of relatively large compartments in the upper portion of the case.

On the other hand, between the upper and lower horizontal partitions or shelves 36 and 4|, the vertical partitions 44, 45, 46 and 41 are adapted to divide the case into a plurality of compartments, each adapted to contain a file drawer or tray 5|.

As shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the drawer or tray compartments of the case 25 each have a top, vertical side and rear walls, a bottom, and an open front. That is'to say, the compartments for the upper tier of drawers or trays 5| have a top formed by the partition 36 and a bottom formed by the partition 31. The rear wall of said compartments is formed by the rear wall 29 of the case 25. The next lower tier of drawers or trays 5| have a top formed by the partition 31 and a bottom formed by the partition 38. And so on downwardly to the bottom of the case, each horizontal partition which constitutes the bottom for a horizontal series of compartments constitutes the top of the next lower horizontal series of compartments.

In order to prevent sagging of the horizontal partitions and to also provide a depending transverse flange at the front of the top of each compartment, the front edges of the sheet metal used in constructing the horizontal compartments is bent in the manner shown best in Fig. 5, as indicated at 52.

Each drawer or tray 5| may comprise a bottom 54, a front 55, and side walls 56.

Mounted on the front 55 of each drawer or tray 5|, is a handle 51 and a frame 58 for receiving an index card.

The drawer or tray 5| may be constructed of suitable plate and structural steel members.

The upper edge of the front 55 is formed with an inwardly projecting flange 59.

At a suitable distance rearwardly from the front 55, each side wall 56 has an angle piece mounted thereon. This angle piece provides an inwardly projecting rib 68.

The purpose of the flange 58 and the rib 68 is to provide means for retaining in place the contents of the drawer or tray when the latter is in motion.

Mounted on the rear edge portion of the bottom 54 and extending transversely thereof is a channel member 6| which provides means for supporting .a rubber bumper strip or contact piece 62. The rubber strip 62 is so positioned that it will abut the transverse depending flange 52 when the drawer or tray is in its outermost and inclined position, as shown in Fig. 5.

For the purpose of supporting each drawer or tray 5|, the side wall of each compartment has mounted thereon a channel member 65, as shown best in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

Each channel member 65 has an upper flange 66 and a lower flange 61, said flanges projecting inwardly from the side wall of each compartment so as to constitute a guide to be hereinafter referred to.

Also formed from suitable structural steel of channel form, is a carriage 68 for each drawer or ray.

The carriage 68 has side members 69 and a rear member 18 connected to said side members. As shown in Fig. 4, the carriage 68 is substantially U-shaped in plan, the side members 68 thereof being arranged in parallel relationship to the side walls of the case and having an upper outwardly projecting flange 1| and a lower outwardly projecting flange 12.

Preferably the guide members 65 and the carriages 68 are constructed from the same size of channel material so that when the parts are assembled the flanges 1| will overlie the flanges 66 and the flanges 12 will overlie the flanges 61.

A plurality of rollers 13 are supported by the side members of the carriage 68. These rollers are spaced apart a suitable distance so as to prevent tilting of the carriage with respect to the guides 65, and said rollers have a diameter such as to fit within the space between the flanges 66 and 61 of said guides 65 and have free rolling engagement therewith. The construction is such that the carriage may be readily moved inwar and outwardly of the case. Openings 14 formed in the lower flanges 12 so as to para. the rollers to engage the guide flange 61 (see Fig. 6).

Each drawer or tray 5| is pivotally connected to a carriage 68 by means of a pair of diametrically disposed pins 15. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the pins 15 are mounted in the side members 69 at a point adjacent to the outer or front end of the carriage so that when the carriage has been moved outwardly of the case the desired distance, the drawer or tray 5| can be tilted downwardly in the manner illustrated, until the rubber strip 62 abuts the depending flange 52.

In order to limit the outward movement of the carriage 68 and to also lock the same in position when the drawer has been withdrawn from the case, an opening 18 is formed in the upper flange 66 of each channel member 65, at a point adjacent to the front of the case.

The side member 68 of the carriage 68 has mounted thereon, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a bracket 19 which provides means for supporting a pin 88. The pin 88 in turn supports one end of an arm 8|. The construction is such that the arm 8| is pivotally connected to the carriage 68 in such a manner that said arm is free to move in a vertical path.

The outer free end of the arm 8| is formed with a downwardly projecting lug 82 having such a form as to enter the opening 18 when the carriage 68 is moved outwardly of the case and thereby limit any further outward movement of the carriage and the drawer or tray 5| attached thereto. The lug 82 extends downwardly through a slot 84 formedin the upper flange 1| of the carriage. The lower portion or underside of the outer free end portion of the arm 8| is formed with an inclined surface 83. By constructing the arm 8| in this manner, when force is applied to move the carriage 68 and the drawer or tray 5| attached thereto inwardly of the case, the inclined surface 83 will ride on the rear end of the opening 18 and in doing so will cause the lug 82 to move out of the opening 18, thereby unlatching the carriage from its guides. After the lug 82' has thus been removed from the opening 18 the front end of the arm will ride along the surface of the upper flange 66 of the guides 65.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the tially horizontal position within the case to an inclined position in front of the case and vice versa. tray is limited by the rear portion of the carriage 68 engaging the rear wall 29 of the case 25.

The provision of the electric light unit 2| en ables the front portion of the case and the interior or the drawers or trays which may be .pulled outwardly of the case and be disposed in the manner shown. in Fig. 3, to be illuminated since light emanating from the unit 2| will be projected only downwardly due to the construction of the overhanging front portion of the top l9.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l.'In combination with an enclosing case or cabinet having a top, vertical side and rear walls, a bottom, and an open front formed along its upper portion with a depending transverse flange, a channel member secured to each side wall and having upper and lower substantially horizontally disposed flanges projecting inwardly therefrom, a second channel member having side sections arranged in parallel relationship to the side walls of the case and a rear end section connecting said side sections, said second channel member having upper and lower substantially horizontally disposed outwardly projecting flanges arranged to overlie the upper and lower flanges, respectively, of the first channel members, a plurality of rollers supported in spaced relation by each side section of said second channel member and having rolling contact with the flanges of said first channel members whereby said second channel member may be moved inwardly and outwardly of the case, an opening formed in the upper flange of each of said first channel members at a point adjacent to the front end of the case, arms, each having an end portion pivotally connected to each side section of said second channel members and having their free ends formed with downwardly projecting lugs adapted to enter said openings in the flanges of said first channel members, respectively, and thereby limit the outward movement of the second channel member with respect to the case, a drawer or tray pivotally connected to the front end portions of the side sections of said second channel member, a contact piece carried by the The inward movement of each drawer or rear end portion of said drawer and adapted to engage said front transverse flange to thereby limit the tilting movement of said drawer when said second channel member and said drawer are withdrawn outwardly with respect to the case, and an inwardly projecting flange arranged across the upper portion of the front of the drawer and adapted to engage the underside of said front transverse flange when said drawer and its supporting structure are disposed within the case, the pivots of said drawer with the side sections of said second channel member being so arranged as to be disposed beyond the front of the case when the second channel member is locked in its outermost position with respect to the case.

2. In combination with an enclosing case or cabinet having a top, side and rear walls, a bottom, and an open front formed along its upper portion with a depending transverse flange, a channel member secured to each side wall and having upper and lower substantially horizontally disposed flanges projecting inwardly-therefrom. said channel constituting guides, a second channel member constituting a drawer carriage and having side sections arranged in parallel relationship with the side walls of the case and a rear end section connecting said side sections, said carriage having upper and lower substantially horizontally disposed outwardly projecting flanges arranged to overlie the upper and lower flanges respectively of said guides, a plurality of rollers supported in spaced relation by each side section of said carriage and having rolling contact with said guides whereby said carriage may be moved inwardly and outwardly of the case, an opening formed in said guide, an arm having an end portion pivotally connected to the side of said carriage and having its free end formed with a lug adapted to enter said guide opening and thereby limit the outward movement of said carriage with respect to the case, said arm having a cam surface to cause said arm to become disengaged from said guide when force is applied to the carriage to move the same inwardly of the case, a drawer or tray pivotally connected to the front of said carriage, and a contact piece carried by said drawer or tray and adapted to engage said front transverse flange to thereby limit the tilting movement of said drawer or tray when said carriage is outwardly disposed with respect to the case.

PALMER BESCHERER. 

